The Wild Night is Calling
by Fourhumors
Summary: A spout of silliness Jane is recovering from heartbreak and Loki is cursed as a cat.
1. Chapter 1

Because.

* * *

"… and sends you flying, CRYING…"

Her singing resembles a broken wail. Her vigorous thrashing is directly related to the near-empty wine bottle currently being used as a microphone. This is not how she expected her Friday night to go. In fact hours earlier she had a rather promising date over. He was attractive with a level-headed air about him that just seemed so perfect after all the chaos and heartbreak. She wasn't really expecting anything, it had been a long time since Thor, and she mostly just wanted to kiss somebody. Things were going well, really well, things could have gone better perhaps if she offered to move from the couch to the bed earlier. Perhaps, Jeff wouldn't have stormed out if she had never taken pity on that darned stray cat.

It was when he slipped his hand under her top a crash stilled their actions. From the couch they see a rather smug looking cat sitting on top of the counter, its paw outstretched and a broken cup on the floor. Stunned they watch as the cat trots towards its next victim, he meows before swiping a ceramic bowl off the counter.

"_Shit,"_ she scouted from under her date running towards the counter.

"Bad kitty! Geez!"

The cat runs away from her disappearing into the bathroom. Jeff stands behind her sniffing the air.

"Do you smell something?"

His suit jacket had unfortunately been discarded on the counter. When he spies the freshly soiled jacket he leaves without as much as a goodbye.

'I'm going to kill that bloody cat' she thinks as she aggressively sweeps, 'that's it, no more strays, this cat has gotta go.' The cat meows ever so sweetly poking its head out the doorway, those big green eyes looking at her. Her frustration fades, she sighs, he was adorable, sweet at times and she did enjoy the company.

"It's alright" she says beckoning the slinky black cat over, it trots over excitedly, rubbing his head against her palm.

"You're a pesky little shit you know, I kind of miss when you hated me, you'd scratched me sure but at least you didn't pee on things"

Hours later she is drunk listening to Marta Reeves on repeat. She finishes the rest of her microphone bottle and places it on the counter. 'Lord, he must think I'm a crazy cat person,' she laughs bitterly to herself. She mimics the cat and slaps the bottle off the counter laughing manically at the shattering sound. Everything is so dizzy, it occurs to her she should go to bed but as she stumbles she decides the floor is easier. She knows vaguely that she is about to fall, she does nothing, she feels as if her whole body is in a slumber. She never hits the floor. She releases a sleepy sigh of relief as she is caught by a pair of cool arms that lift her. Just as overpowering sleep claims her she wonders if she should think this is strange, instead she sleeps with a small smile on her face.

She feels miserable in the morning, groaning she peels herself out of bed in search of water. She doesn't notice there is no broken glass in the kitchen, she doesn't notice much as she waddles to the kitchen sink. Hydration helps; she feels cognition return slightly, although she feels like if she stands for too long she will throw up. She grabs the box of cat food intent of feeding the beast and sleeping the rest of the day away, maybe order a pizza, it's not like anybody is around to judge her anyways. She shakes the box.

"Here Kitty-"

"Foster" calls a smooth familiar voice from her bathroom. She spins around causing her head to throb, she clutches it and sways.

"Kitty?"

She drops the box and cat food sprays across the floor. She stares, not especially disturbed that he is only wearing a towel, she is still piecing together that Loki has just walked out of her bathroom.

"What?"

Perhaps she should be scared, in the grogginess she can't move past astoundingly confused. Her mouth is agape as she finally notices black cat ears poking through his hair and the tail swishing behind him.

"Kitty!?"

He has the decency to look a little sheepish.

"Oh my god"

"Well-"

It's all too much, her stomach gurgles from all the wine and she rushes to the sink heaving.


	2. Chapter 2

I've had a rather shitty week and I've just come home from a rather shitty party, hence slightly drunk fanfic writing which always cheers me so.

And now the whining is over here is stupid fluff

* * *

It had been exactly 4 months and a week since Jane and Thor broke up, approximately 3 months and 16 days since she found the limping cat soaked by the rain outside her apartment complex. It had been half an hour since that supposed cat turned out to be her ex-boyfriend's villainous brother.

Jane sat huddled on the couch, face buried deep in her hands, in a state of turmoil: humiliation, fear, shock and _why on earth is he still parading around in that towel? _She rubbed her temples, her hangover adding some difficulty in her acceptance of their current situation. She listened mutely as Loki chatted away in the kitchen, using it as if it was his.

"I came across an old acquaintance who had been nursing an old grudge. They are exceptionally creative but lack the talent for anything durable."

He eagerly picked at food in the fridge before settling with a chicken leg. His ears twitched as he spitefully kicked the cat food aside.

"So you see," he surmises placing a steaming cup of coffee on the coffee table in front of her and then planting himself on the other end on the couch. "The curse is weak, it requires only patience to break it. I found myself in your care in pure coincidence, it would have taken me longer otherwise."

It's her favorite cup. It's exactly how she takes her coffee. Jane stares at the cup in horror, _he's been living with me for over three months. How much does he know about me?_ The cat had looked so pitiful when she found him, she had wrapped him in a blanket and the poor thing complied leaning into her touch. There was a rule against pets in her building. However, the break up was still raw and feeling emotional Jane couldn't bear to send him to the pound. So she took it home after the vet. It would follow her in those first days, limping to and fro then freezing whenever she'd catch him doing it. Occasionally it would dash under the couch were it would spy on her. The cat would growl, scratch and hiss if she got too close. It was after she had worked so diligently trying to find the cats original owners that he allowed her to touch him. She had been speaking to Darcy about it. Darcy had offhandedly suggested the pound caring very little about Jane attempt to distract herself from her heartbreak. Jane swore the little thing had heard Darcy. It trotted up to Jane with those big eyes, her heart swelled as it looked at her.

"He just needs a little love," she had said.

Later that evening as she worked frantically at her laptop she reached to quickly for her coffee cup knocking it to the floor. It was astrange small reminder of Thor, it hit her hard, she missed him, she wanted him and she felt helpless knowing that they would never work. As she was attempting to hold back the tears the cat jumped onto her lap. With a surprised gasp Jane froze as the cat sat facing her. When the cat stretched its paw she closed her eyes expecting another angry scratch, instead there was a soft prod on her cheek. She melted, feeling as if a weight has been lifted, the tears still fell but there was a smile on her face as the cat continues to prod her face, laughing when it reached the end of her nose.

"I guess I need a little love as well" she had wondered aloud before testing her luck, lightly petting the top of his head. He rarely scratched her afterwards. Instead he was always at her feet, always watching with keen interest and eventually sleeping at the foot of her bed.

She started to feel nauseous again.

"As you can see the effects of the curse still remain," he continues. Jane turns to give him a 'no shit' look only to recoil and burry her face in her hands again.

"Why aren't you wearing pants?" she whines inspiring a chuckle from him.

"I wasn't given a chance to pack a case when I was cursed and banished Jane."

At least he was wearing a towel, not that it made a difference as he sat with his legs stretched apart his arms resting on the top of the couch behind her.

"Aren't you the master of illusions or something?"

"Hmm"

She waits for him to explain only to find silence and for a long moment that's all there is. Immediately suspicious it dawns on her that he is still here with no real reason to be.

"Why are you here?" She asks.

"Where you not listening?" He snaps.

"No, why are you still here?" She removes her hands and looks him in the eye scrutinizing his narrowed gaze and hard lined mouth no longer bothered by his near naked state. She wondered if this was all some bizarre nefarious plan, pretend to be his brother's ex-girlfriends cat then roam around her apartment in a towel and make her coffee. Was he going to kill her now? Absolute nonsense. He had saved her on Svartalfheim, only to fake a heroic death. It wasn't long after finding out he was alive that her and Thor split up, the absences had been bearable before then. She could hardly say she knew Loki at all, she gathered however, that he cared about his appearance, at the least he did not seem like to type to be indifferent to showing cat ears when he could easily hide them using illusions. Well unless…

"You can't use it can you? Your… er… magic?"

He looks away in a huff. She swears he looks embarrassed.

"Temporarily, given enough time it will return"

He looks at her again, a smile playing on his lips and mischief alight in his eyes. Suddenly uncomfortable she turns away and picks up her coffee.

"Er well, Heimdall will… so Thor will probably…" Her babbling fizzles as he slides closer.

"Another little perk of this curse is," he croons bringing his knee onto the couch, "my privacy."

"Oh" is all she could manage leaning back against the armrest, bringing the hot cup closer to her chest. Planting his hands next to her leg he leans forward invading her personal space, she notes that he had definitely used her vanilla shampoo.

"You aren't staying here"

"Jane" he says in a mock plea, "I'm not particularly keen on seeing your ex-boyfriend, just as much as you are. Why would you? After all those nights crying yourself to sleep, that incident with the tequila and the pizza box, oh and last night's disaster date."

"That was your fault!"

"Hmm," his tail flicks behind him, ignoring her he continues with his eyebrows drawn together in mock concern, "we wouldn't want to disturb him, after all he is probably out gallivanting around the universe saving worlds with his little friends, no doubt spending time with _very grateful_ damsels. Perhaps he and Sif have finally found their happy ending while you're here working on the same old problem. This 'Einstein Rosen Bridge' I could so easily fix. No, you don't want him seeing you like this"

Jane stared agape, so visibly offended, hurt and angry. The worst of it was that she was certain he was trying to look cute while attempting to bribe and blackmail her. She placed the cup back on the table, whipping around to smack him across the face. He caught her hand before it could land any damage, holding it tightly.

"Well?" he asks with a sickening attempt at adorable. Her heart is pounding, she wants nothing more than to strangle him but after a few calming breaths she decides its best to agree with him for now, not really wanting to know what he would do if she refused.

"Fine" she splutters after noticing that his towel is starting to slip. He lets go of her hand with a tight smile. Using the opportunity she storms into her bedroom and slams the door muttering angrily at the sound of his laugh. She comes out a few minutes later dressed with keys in hand. Loki is drinking her coffee, sitting like he has just conquered the couch with his eyebrows raised and her.

"Rule number one: you wear pants"

He shrugs. Smug bastard. Jane stomps towards the front door.

"Where are you going?" he calls out in an almost needy manor.

"I'm getting you some fucking pants."

As she locked the door behind her she hoped he believed her.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for reading, following and reviewing :D 3

Here we go again...

* * *

Jane groans realizing she had been sitting in her car for 20 minutes. Her gaze alternates from her phone to the mall entrance with an intensity that surprised those who pass by. She deletes the beginnings of text, replacing it with _hey_, sighing she immediately deletes it and hesitantly she uses _Hello _instead.

"Maybe I should just call?" she asks aloud. She pockets the phone deciding she should at least have a coffee and something insanely greasy to eat.

One latte and beacon egg sandwich later she is sitting on the curb staring at her phone again.

Deep Breath. She presses the call button.

He is there half an hour later, her heart thunders and for a moment she can only stare at the golden son and that warm smile that makes her heart flutter.

"Jane Foster, are you well?" He is dressed in his full armor seemingly oblivious to the gathering bystanders snapping pictures of the sudden appearance of an Avenger in a parking lot.

"Yeah" she replies breathlessly, _now that you're here_ she wants to say, "and, are you?" she manages instead with nervous fluttering.

"I am well," they fall silent, the world melts away and there is only Thor, no painful break up and no naked Loki waiting at her apartment. A teenage squeal pulls them into reality, her chest constricts as Jane is reminded that he is no longer hers. The crowd has doubled, the camera flashes brighter and people have started to shout his name. Thor and Jane turn back to each other both laughing at the awkward situation.

"Lets go this way" Jane pulls Thor into the Mall setting a fast pace.

"You said you have news of my brother," he states confused at her choice of direction.

"Um, yeah, he's kind of…" she pauses unsure how to explain what she had just discovered or if she should, it all seemed too insane for words, so she settles for, "waiting in my apartment."

He stops her, holding her shoulders lightly, his eyes searching.

"Did he hurt you?"

"No," she says slowly deciding it was best not to tell him everything, "he's lost his powers or something, and he doesn't know I've called you either so we need to move quickly. Also you should come round the balcony." She starts pulling him again, he obliges a little stunned.

"Jane, where are we going?"

"Pants," she splutters, "we need to buy him pants, he doesn't have pants, um, it's best if you just see for yourself. Well, he has a towel. Oh my god."

They fall silent again, she avoids eye contact out of embarrassment, and it isn't until they are sifting through a clothes rack that he speaks again under the gaze of the entire store.

"Why didn't you give him my old ones?"

"I er, got rid of them."

"Oh."

Jane could not wait for this day to end.

Apparently Loki had made himself busy, not that Jane minded a clean apartment, however it disturbed her how comfortable and familiar he seemed with the place. Too much so, she is really starting to hate that low hung towel, he has clearly borrowed some of her hair products and he is sitting at her desk using her computer. Her password protected computer.

"Hey. Hey. Hey," she cries rushing towards him shopping bags still in hand. Outside Thor floats gently to the balcony, peering in his stern battle-ready expression falters, his eyes bulge. Loki turns towards her, ignorant of his hovering brother, he narrows his gaze and looks her up and down.

"Ah, Foster, you took your time."

"I wasn't exactly itching to return."

Something in her choice of words brings a small smile to his lips and tapping on the desk surface he regards her. Finding herself once again uncomfortable she changes the subject by pointing angrily at her computer.

"Oh please, its hardly hacking when I've seen you type the password countless times," he turns his attention back to the screen and continues to sift through her hard worked data. She realizes that he has seen these before, just as he has seen her enter her password, because he was a cat, a cat that would sit on her lap as she worked, sometimes sleeping but mostly watching.

"What could you possibly…?" she doesn't finish her question, outside Thor is attempting to muffle his laughter, the glass is thick enough to cancel the sound but she can see tears in his eyes. Her palms sweat as she wills herself not to look.

"I have to preoccupy myself somehow, unless you have another suggestion?"

_Did he just come onto me? _She files this away as her being paranoid and wanting so desperately for this nightmare to end she impatiently drops the shopping bags on Loki's lap. Outside Thor was doubled over clutching at his sides.

"Ah yes, rule number one" he says eying the contents suspiciously, "I'd hate to break my only rule," he drawls pulling out the dark jeans Jane had Thor had selected for him and he 3 pack of T-shirts she randomly selected from a bargain bin.

"Yeah, well, looking through my computer is rule number two."

"Are you sure these are in my size?"

"Just… put them on, please"

Standing he slides his hand gently into hers, "thank you, Jane," he squeezes it lightly before letting go and ruffling her hair. The moment has brief, still, it stole her breath. She watches him walk into the bathroom bewildered at this close and friendly behavior, suspicion dugs in deep. She's mostly disturbed at the spark that coursed through her when his hand slid into hers, and how his smell washed over her for a sickly sweet moment.

She quickly sneaks onto the balcony. Thor had missed the display due to his trouble adjusting to his brother's new appearance.

"Thor!" She whispers harshly.

"Forgive me" he barely manages in-between haggard breaths. She cannot help it, the absurdity of the situation catches up on her and she laughs, what else can she do?

Jane is the first recover.

"So are you going to take him…?" She wipes her hands on her jeans perhaps a little impatient. It strikes her then that Loki wasn't holding her hand, more like checking them. Last night she had been complaining loudly on the phone about her nervous clammy palms before the date to Darcy. Feelin uneasy she rushes Thor.

Jane's attention is divided as they return inside. She points to the bathroom and hangs back unable to shake this foreboding feeling. As Thor creeps towards the bathroom door Jane returns to the computer, she frowns seeing an Internet browser open._ How on earth does he know how to use that? _She wonders before blushing at the realization he may have watched her surf the Internet. She decides she is going to punch him just before Thor takes him away, then she can continue her life free of gods and curses. She clicks on the browser. A crash booms from the bathroom.

"Thor!" she calls her head snapping away from the computer.

"Jane," he returns with her bathroom door dragging behind him, "he's gone."

On the computer screen is a photo on a social networking sight, an image of Thor holding up a pair of pants in the mall and the back of her head as he shows it to her.

There is a reason the cat would always run to the bathroom every time he got in trouble, from there it could escape her apartment if she chased it in there. She had no idea how, even after she had searched high and low with no luck. However, she always knew where to find him.

"Not for long," she arms herself with oven mitts, "and not before I get my punch."


End file.
